Bottle stopper



22, 1942- L. R. ABELLA DEL CASTILLO 2,306,241

BOTTLE STOPPER Filed Aug. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l "mu-"'1" 7 17 \tihmllllllnall ul l a j INVENTQR. Ian's Ruflbellw deZ C'ashzla L. R. ABELLA DEL CAS'TILLO V 2,306,241

BOTTLE STOPPERT Filed Aug. 18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill-l Ill-I a.

INVENTOR. :cmleqqbezew data mum Patented Dec. 22, 1942 BOTTLE STOPPER Luis Rafael Abella del Castillo, C'amaguey, Cuba Application August 18, 1941, Serial No. 407,351 in Cuba June 12, 1941 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to stoppers for bottles which when applied will permit the contents thereof to be poured therefrom and at the same time prevent the refilling of the bottle thereby providing a so-called non-refillable bottle.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bottle stopper with a pendulum weight controlled valve which will lock or retain the valve in its opened or closed positions and yet be guarded against unauthorized persons tampering with the valve which would permit the contents of the bottle being added to or the bottle refilled after it is once emptied.

A further object of the invention is to provide 7 a bottle stopper which will permit the contents thereof to flow therefrom when the bottle is in its pouring position, but which at the same time will prevent liquids from spilling therefrom should the bottle be upset or moved to any other position than its pouring position and one which will be comparatively inexpensive in the cost of manufacture thereby rendering the same commercially desirable.

Other important objects of the invention will be in part pointed out and in part obvious from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stopper embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar view taken at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the casing Figure 9 is a detail perspective view of the valve.

Figure 10 is a detail perspective view of the two supporting bars or hearing support for the pendulum weight.

Figure 11 is a detail perspective view of lower section of the stopper.

Figure 12 is a sectional view of the neck of a a bottle having my improved stopper applied the therein, illustrating the position of the valve 55 when the bottle is in an inverted position where the contents may flow therefrom.

Figure 13 is a similar view with the bottle in an inclined position and Figure 14 is a similar'view showing the closed position of the valve and the bottle in a horizontal position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein like and corresponding parts are designated with like reference characters throughout the several views, the bottle stopper embodying the invention comprises a sectional frame consisting of a lower or base section and an upper or guard section 2 which are connected to gether and retained in spaced relation with one another. The base section of the frame is provided with an annular rim 3 (Fig. 11) and seated within the groove formed within the outer periphery of this rim is a washer 4 which latter is capable of fitting snugly within the neck of a bottle in the manner as is shown in Figures 12, 13 and 14. The inner periphery of the rim 3 is fitted with a valve seat 5 (Fig. 12) and depending from this rim is a cup-shaped shell or receptacle 6. The side walls of this shell have extending therethrough the two elongated and diametrically opposed openings 7, whereas the bottom of this shell has formed therein a plurality of circumferentially arranged openings 8 and a central opening through which extends the stem 9 of the valve H3.

This valve when at rest within the valve seat 5 is in closed position as shown in Fig. 14, but

' when raised out of the-seat 5 as shown in Fig, 12

it is in opened position whereby fluids may pass therearound. The lower face of the valve is provided with a guide block I I which latter rides upon the inner periphery of the rim 3 for guiding the valve to and from its seat and as the guide block H is of a rectangular configuration liquids may freely pass or flow between the guide block and the rim 3. Formed with and extending from the upper face of the rim 3 is a pair of vertical and diametrically opposed posts l2 and the upper end of each post is provided with a pair of spaced and offset prongs I3.

The upper or guard section of the stopper consists of an annular ring M having depending therefrom a pair of posts l5 and the lower ends of theseposts are each provided with a pair of spaced and oifset prongs l6 which latter are seated upon the offset portions of the posts l2 and lie close to and parallel with the prongs I3 thereof. Supported upon and retained in spaced relation with the ring It by means of the legs I l is a plate I8 and the outer diameter of this plate is less than the inner diameter of the neck of the bottle in which the stopper is applied as is shown in Figures 12 to 14 whereby liquids flowing from the bottle may freely pass around this plate.

The bearing blocks l9 which are shown separated in Figure are each provided with reduced outer ends 2 and these reduced outer ends are seated between the prongs l3 and IS in the manner as is best illustrated in Figure 4. Any suitable means (not shown) may be used for connecting the ends 2| of the blocks to the prongs l3 and IE, but when these blocks are so placed and connected the sections 1 and 2 of the stopper will also be connected together. .The.medial:p.ortion of each block is provided with anloffset :22 which when connected together form a socketior receiving the ball 23 of the pendulum weight '24 whereby the latter .may'freelyzrotatekand yet .be pivotally supported.

The upper :face of the valve has atdepression 25 formed therein and extending :therefrom iisa cone-shapedlug orprojectionflfi which:latter at timesis to be seated within ascorresponding .recess 21 formed within the lower face of the loallz23rof the pendulum weight. The plate :18 ofxtheguard has projecting therefromapin :23 and upon the outerend thereof is slidablymounted .aist'op .29.

.Tl'ielower face of't'hisstop ridesupon'the'upper semi-spherical endi3ilrof the pendulum weight.

After the bottle has been filled '.with':a .liquid the stopper is inserted within the .neck thereof1in the manner as shownin Figures 12 to l isand the resilient washer 4 will retain the stopper (within the neck-0f the bottle. "Theplate l'8lof:the-guard should-beplaced at a position below thennened end of the .bottle whereat a cork stopper or the like may be inserted within theneck of the bottle and thereby house the improved stopper. To remove the contents of the bottle the cork is first removed and the bottle inverted untilit assumes the position as shown in Figure 12 whereupon the semi-spherical end '30 of the pendulum weight will abut against the movable-stop 29 and:at the sametime the valve will fall by gravity until'the plug 26 is seated withinthe'recess of the ball Z3 of the pendulum weight and'thereby retain the valve in its opened position The bottle can then assume the pouring position as shown .in Figure 13 wherein the valve is still retained in its opened position. Atmospheric air may then enter the bottle in the direction of :the arrows and at the sametime the liquid withinthe bottle may flow therefrom in the direction of the .arrows as they are also shown in Figure 13. When the bottle has been placed into a horizontal position as'shown in Figure 14 the pendulum weight will fall by gravity until it assumes the positionshown therein and the lug 25 -isoutof engagement with the recess 27 and the sphere or ball 23 rests ''On the vertex of the lug 26. The'valve will then-be forced-and retained inits closed-position as herein shown in Fig. 14. From the foregoing it is apparent that-the'action ofthe pendulum weight is such as to lock or retain the valve either in its opened or closed positions,

The guard and its plate l-B will prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with the valve in an attempt to refill the bottle, when the bottle is in pouring positions the liquid may freely flow therefrom and when in non-pouring positions the liquid will be prevented from flowing therefrom or other liquids flowing into the bottle thereby effecting or establishing a non-refillable bottle.

Manifestly, the construction herein shown is capable of considerable modification and such modifications as come within the scope of my claims, I consider within the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1. In a bottle stopper, a frame adapted to be seated within the neck of a bottle, a valve seat mounted on said frame transversely thereof, a yalve ..member;adapted to engage said valve seat, valve mounting means carried by said frame and up orting said valve member longitudinally displaceable substantially axially of said frame, a bearing member extending transversely of said frame .near .said valve seat and comprising a socket, a pendulum member comprising a terminal weight and a supporting balladapted to fit in said socket, said :ball and-said valve member respectively comprising mutually engageable actuating portions adapted toforce said valve member-tightlagainst saidvalveseat when-said pendulum member is in a first position andto release said valve member from engagement with said valveseatwhen said pendulum member is .in a second position.

2. In a bottlestopper, a frame adapted to'be seated within the neck of abottle, a valve seat mounted onsaid frame transversely :thereof, a

valve-member adapted toengage saidvalve seat, valve mounting means carried'by said frame and supporting said valve member longitudinally .displaceably substantially axially of said irame, a bearing member extending transversely of :said frame near said valve .seat and comprising a socket, a pendulum member comprising a terminal weight and a supportingballadapted'to fit in said socket, the terminal surface-of said ball having a conical recess formed therein, said valve member having a conical protuberance formed thereon adapted to engage said conical recess apex to apex, said valve member and'saidpendulum member being so mounted and arranged that when said pendulum member is in position for said conical protuberance to engage said.conical recess apex to apex said valve member will be released from engagement with said valve-seat, and when said pendulum member swings into position to force said conical protuberance out of said conical recess and into engagement with the outer surface of said ball, saidvalve member is forced to tightly engage said-valve seat.

3. A stopper according to claim 2 and displaceable means carried by said frame-and engageable with said weight for restraining response by said pendulum member to small displacements in the position of said frame.

4. A stopper according to claim 2, said frame being formed in two sections comprising mutual interlockingmeans, and said bearing member being supported by said interlocking means.

LUIS R. ABELLA m. CASTILLO. 

